Planter



ug. 21, 1945. L W, ORENDORFF 2,383,413

PLANTER Filed June l2, 1944 aiented Aug. 2l, 1945 PLANTER John W. Orendorff, Canton, Ill., assignor, to International Harvester Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application June 12, 1944, Serial No. 539,976

4 Claims.

'Ihis invention relates to agricultural dispensing devices and particularly to planters. More specifically, the invention rconcerns a removable planter hopper, and has for its principal object the provision of means for the hinged connection of a hopper and its associated plate mechanism to its support in such a way as to permit separation of the hopper for the purpose of cleaning, repairing or the like without danger of spilling its contents.

Another object is to provide for a planter hopn per a hinged connection withits support which permits tilting thereof about its connection, or removal thereof bodily.

Still another object is to provide for a dispenser, including a hopper, a base plate and a support hingedly connected by a common pivot pin, means for dissociating the hopper and plate from the support quickly without removing the pivot pin.

These and other objects will become clear from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a dispenser mechanism with certain parts removed for clarity embodying the features of the present invention; f

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, with the hopper in locked position;

Fig. 3 is a plan view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the hopper angularly displaced from its support for removal therefrom;

Fig. 4 is a view from below of the hopper structure with the base plate hingedly connected thereto and showing the seed plate retained thereby Fig. 5 is aI detail of one of the supporting standards showing the placement of the pivot pin; and

Fig. 6 is a plan view of .a portion of theA supporting standard illustrating the pivot pin holder` and the communicating entrance thereto.

Referring to the drawing, numeral I0 designates a hopper having a cover II, and an anvnular base I2 having a pair of lugs I3 project- I9, provided on its under surface with an inwardly projecting ledge portion 20, upon which the plate I5 rests to prevent pivoting thereof, consequent displacement of the seed plate IB, and spilling of seed when the hopper is removed for inspection purposes.

Hopper I0 rests upon a support generally indicated at 2I and having vertically extending standards 22 and 23. Standard 23 is provided with a latch member 24 adapted to cooperate with a locking member 25 pivoted upon the projection I9 on hopper base I2, thus fastening the hopper to its support in a manner well known in the art.

Standard 22 opposite standard 23 is provided at its upper end with a centrally bored bearingl or pivot pin holder 26 adapted to receive the journal portion of pin I4 between the lugs I1 on plate I5.

In hopper mechanisms of this type. it is customary when it is desired to remove the dispenser assembly comprising the hopper I0, the base plate I2, the seed yplate I8 from its support, to withdraw the pin I4 in order to dislodge the base plate I5 from locking position with the ledge 20 upon which it rests. Such a'procedure, of course, generally involves a disarrangement of the associated plates and spilling of the contents of the hopper. In order to avoid this difliculty, applicant has provided means for removing the hopper and plate assembly from its pivotal connection with the support without removing the pin I4, until the hopper has been upended in a position for inspection.

This is accomplished by the provision in the pin holder 26 of an opening 21 extending diagonally to the axis of the bore 28 and communieating therewith. Pin I4 is held in place by a cot'r 29.

When the operator wishes to inspect the interior of the'hopper, or its associated plates, the locking member 25 is released and the hopper I0 angularly displaced to the position shown in Fig. 3, whereupon the pivot pin I4 falls into alinement with the diagonal opening 21. The hopper and plate assembly may then 'be bodily removed and transported without danger of displacement of the base plate or seed plate, and without danger of spilling the contents of the hopper. The hopper may then be inverted, pin I4 removed, and seed plate I8 and base plate I5 dissociated from the hopper I0. Reassembly of the parts may be very quickly made by simply reinserting'pin I4 in the lugs I3 and I1. The hopper and plate assembly is then placed upon the support 2l with the pin Il in position to be inserted in the opening 21. A twistof the hopper I then seats the pin Il in its bore 2l where it is held against displacement by the overlapping portionsvof the pivot holder 26.

The means for driving the seed plate ofthe dispenser mechanism forms no part of the present invention. It is suiliclent to say that a drive shaft 30 provides power for imparting rotary movement to a gear 3| which in turn transmits rotary motion in any suitable manner to the seed plate I8. Support 2| is provided with a bolt opening 32 by which it may be attached to a suitable implement framework not shown.

It should now be understood that a simple and etiicient mechanism has been provided for hlngedly connecting a dispenser to a support, by which the dispenser may be readily removed from the support without danger of displacing the v plate, a support, and a bearing on the'support driven parts or spilling the contents of the disv penser hopper.

Having described the invention, it should be understood that modiflcations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a planter, a support, a pivot pin mounted in the support, a hopper pivoted on the pin to form a hinge joint with the support, a base plate pivoted on the pin, means for removing the hopi port.

having an internal bore for receiving the pin to form a hinge lioint with the hopper and the plate, the bearing having a radial opening therein coextensive with the length thereof, diagonal to the pivot axis thereof and communicating with said bore for the insertion of the pin in the bore without severing the pivotal relation between the plate and the hopper.

3. In a planter, a pivot pin, a hopper and a plate each having spaced lugs apertured for coaxial pivotal mounting adjacent the ends of the pin, a support, a pin holder on the support having a central bore substantially equal to the spacing between the innennost of said lugs for the reception of thepln to form a hinge joint therewith, said holder having a diagonal radial opening substantially coextenslve with the length thereof and communicating with the bore, whereby the portion of said pin between the innermost of said lugs may be inserted in said bore without severing the connection between said plate and said hopper.

4. In a planter, a dispenser, a support for the dispenser, means for hingedly connecting the dispenser to the support, and fastening means for locking the dispenser to the support, said connecting means including a transverse pivot pin carried by the dispenser, a pin holder on the support having a central bore to receive the pin, and an opening in the holder diagonal to the axis. of said bore and communicating therewith, said pin being adapted to be retained against displacement from said holder when said fastening means is in locking position, and tobe aligned with said opening for removal thereof upon angular displacement of said dispenser with respect to said sup- JoHN w. ORENDORFF. 

